JP2002225319A - Recorder using thermal head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recorder using a long thermal head which can record with the use of recording papers having a smaller size than a breadth of the thermal head without using a sheet material. SOLUTION: A head-pressing mechanism for exciting and pressing the thermal head to a recording medium and a platen roller when the thermal head comes in pressure contact with the platen roller is constituted of pressing members. The pressing members are set to a plurality of points at predetermined intervals in a direction orthogonal to a transfer direction of the recording medium, in a manner to relieve the excitement at a part where the recording medium is not interposed when the thermal head contacts with pressure to the platen roller.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus of a thermal type using a thermal head.
The present invention relates to a mechanism for pressing a thermal head against a recording medium and a platen roller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of a recording apparatus of this type. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a platen roller, and 2 is colored by the application of heat. A recording medium such as paper; 3, a thermal head unit;
Denotes a head support mechanism, and 5 denotes a head pressing mechanism. The thermal head 3 is attached to the head support mechanism 4 and is configured to be pressed against and separated from the platen roller 1. When the thermal head 3 is pressed against the platen roller 1 via the recording medium 2, The heating resistor array formed on the thermal head 31 is configured to be in contact with the recording medium 2. The head pressing mechanism 5 includes a thermal head 31
Is pressed against the recording medium 2 and the platen roller 1 to bias the thermal head 3 and the head support mechanism 4 in the direction of the platen roller 1. In the illustrated device, the head pressing member 5 is
4B is attached to the main body of the recording apparatus independently so as to be rotatable (FIG. 4B).
Is tilted in the direction of the platen roller 1, and the head support mechanism 4 and the thermal head 3 are pressed against the platen roller 1. A desired image is formed on the recording medium 2 by rotating the platen roller 1 in the state shown in FIG. 4A to convey the recording medium 2 and selectively driving the heating resistor of the thermal head 31. I do.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the structure of the head pressing mechanism 5, and the head pressing mechanism comprises a base member 50 serving as a base.
A plurality of head springs 51 and stroke pins 52 provided in a longitudinal direction of the base member 50, that is, a direction in which the heating resistor of the thermal head 31 is formed; And a cover plate 53 formed in a plate shape and fixed to the cover 50. The means for pressing the thermal head 31 is composed of a head spring 51 which is a compression spring and a stroke pin 52 formed in a cylindrical shape having a washer. Part is inserted. When the cover plate 53 is attached to the base member 50, the holes lock the washers of the stroke pins 52 and support the stroke pins 52 so as to be slidable.

When a recording operation is performed, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), a tip portion of a stroke pin 52 is brought into contact with a back portion of the thermal head portion 3 (head support mechanism 4), and a head pressing member is further provided. 5 is pressed in the direction of the platen roller 1, the stroke pin 52 in contact with the thermal head 3 is pushed toward the base member 50 against the elastic force of the head spring 51. By maintaining this state, the thermal head 3 is moved by the spring 51 from the head pressing mechanism 5.
Of the recording medium 2 and the platen roller 1.

[0005]

As shown in FIG. 5, the head pressing means of the conventional recording apparatus is provided with a plurality of head pressing members at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the thermal head so that the head pressing means can be applied to the recording medium. Although the pressing force of the thermal head is configured to be uniform, a width smaller than the size of the thermal head (for example, A3 size) is set by a recording apparatus using a long thermal head such as A0 or A1. If the thermal head is pressed against the platen roller, there will be a portion where the recording medium does not intervene during this time, and the heating resistor of the thermal head directly contacts the platen roller in this portion. When the platen roller is rotated in this state, the portion where the recording medium is not interposed Large frictional force is generated between the thermal head and the platen roller, or can not transport the recording medium, or has been produced inconvenience damage to the heating resistor or the like of the thermal head. In order to solve this problem, in a conventional apparatus, a sheet having a smaller friction coefficient than a heating resistor of the thermal head, for example, ethylene tetrafluoride, is provided at a portion where the recording medium is not interposed between the thermal head and the platen roller. A sheet material is inserted to smoothly transport the recording paper and protect the heating resistor of the thermal head. However, in the case of this configuration, the inserted sheet material rubs against the platen roller, so that the surface portion of the platen roller is deformed by using for a long time, or the low friction effect is deteriorated due to the consumption of the sheet material. And other new problems such as frequent replacement. Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve these problems, and in a recording apparatus using a long thermal head, a recording sheet having a size smaller than the width of the thermal head is used without using a sheet material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording device capable of performing recording by using a recording device.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in a recording apparatus using a thermal head according to the present invention, when the thermal head is pressed against a platen roller, the thermal head is biased. A plurality of head pressing mechanisms for pressing the recording medium and the platen roller are provided at predetermined intervals in a direction orthogonal to the recording medium conveyance direction, and in a portion where the recording medium does not intervene when the thermal head presses against the platen roller. Was constituted by a pressing member provided to release the bias.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A recording apparatus using a thermal head according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a thermal recording apparatus using a thermal head and a head pressing mechanism of the present invention, and parts equivalent to those of the above-described conventional apparatus are denoted by the same reference numerals. Note that, in the recording apparatus of the present embodiment, description will be made assuming that a thermal head of A1 size is applied, but the size is not particularly limited.

The head pressing mechanism of the recording apparatus according to the present invention also has an upper chassis 50 serving as a base similarly to the above-described conventional apparatus.
A plurality of head springs 51, which are pressing members, are disposed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, that is, in the direction in which the heating resistor of the thermal head 31 is formed. One end of each of the head springs 51 is locked to the upper chassis 50, protrudes from a spring hole provided in the upper chassis 50, and the other end of the head springs 51 abuts on the thermal head 3, and biases the thermal head 3 toward the platen roller 1. are doing. Of the plurality of head springs 51, one end side in the longitudinal direction of the thermal head 31, that is, the head spring 51 on the opposite side to the end that is used as a reference when the recording medium 2 is set in the recording apparatus.
Reference numerals 1 and 512 denote thermal head units 3 via stays 53.
It is configured to abut against. FIG. 2 shows this stay 5
3 is a view showing a configuration of a stay 3, wherein a stay 53 is a stay hinge 54.
, So as to be rotatable by a predetermined amount with respect to the chassis 50. Further, L-shaped first and second spring receiving portions 531 and 532 are provided. Each of the spring receiving portions 531 and 532 and the head springs 511 and 512 are
They are provided so as to protrude from spring holes 501 provided in the chassis 50, respectively. The stay 53 has a fin 5 protruding from a hole 502 provided in the chassis 50.
A lower end of the fin 533 is in contact with a cam 55 rotatably mounted on a bearing 503 fixed to the chassis 50. This cam 55
It is configured to rotate by operation of the lever 56.

In the recording apparatus of the present invention, when recording is performed using the recording paper 2 having the same width as the thermal head 31 and having the same A1 size, the thermal head 31 must be pressed uniformly over the entire width of the recording paper 2. Therefore, the user operates the lever 56 in advance to set the cam 55 so that the lower end of the fin 533 of the stay 53 does not abut. In this state, the recording paper 2 is wound around the top of the platen roller 1, the thermal head 3 and the head pressing mechanism 5 are tilted in the direction of the platen roller 1, and the thermal head 31 is pressed against the platen roller 1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3A, the lower ends of the spring receiving portions 531 and 532 of the stay 53 to which the head springs 511 and 512 are locked abut on the thermal head support mechanism 4, and the hinge 54 is slightly moved. It is provided to rotate by an angle. In this state, since the head springs 511 and 512 are compressed and deformed, the thermal head 31 is pressed against the platen roller 1 by applying the restoring force. That is, in this state, all the head springs 5
Since a restoring force of 1 can be applied, a uniform pressing force can be applied to a recording sheet having an A1 width in the width direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the recording apparatus of the present invention, the recording paper sensor 61,
When the recording device detects that the width of the recording paper to be used is the A1 size by turning on both of the recording paper sensors 61 and 62, a control of a recording device (not shown) is provided. The section sets the entire width of the thermal head 31 to be drivable.

Next, a case where the recording apparatus of the present invention performs recording using the recording paper 2 having a width of A3 size smaller than the thermal head 31 will be described. When using the recording paper 2 of A3 width, the user operates the lever 56 in advance to set the cam 55 to abut on the lower end of the fin 533 and push it up. At this time, when the cam 55 contacts the lower end of the fin 533, the stay 5
The hinge 3 and the hinge 54 rotate while compressing and deforming the head springs 511 and 512. In this state, the platen roller 1
The recording paper 2 is wrapped around the top of the platen, the thermal head 3 and the head pressing mechanism 5 are tilted in the direction of the platen roller 1, and the thermal head 31 is pressed against the platen roller 1. In this case, as shown in FIG.
Is maintained in a state rotated by a predetermined amount by the cam 55, the lower ends of the spring receiving portions 531 and 532 are separated from the thermal head support mechanism 4, that is, the bias of the head springs 511 and 512 is released. . In this state, as shown in FIG. 1, the thermal head 31 is pressed against the recording paper 2 of A3 width by the urging force of the head spring 51, but the recording paper 2 is moved between the thermal head 31 and the platen roller 1. In a portion where no stay is provided, that is, in a portion where the stay 53 is provided, since the biasing force of the head springs 511 and 512 does not act on the thermal head portion 3, the thermal head 31 does not press against the platen roller 1 and recording is performed in this portion. A gap corresponding to the thickness of the paper 2 is generated. Therefore, even if the recording paper 2 is conveyed by rotating the platen roller 1 in this state, the thermal head 31 does not receive a frictional force from the platen roller 1 and does not cause a problem that the heating resistor is damaged. Further, the recording paper sensor 61 is OFF and the recording paper sensor 62 is O
By setting N, the recording apparatus detects that the width of the recording paper used is A3 size, and in this case, the control unit of the recording apparatus (not shown) sets only the A3 size portion of the thermal head 31 to be drivable. Then, it is set so that the portion where the recording paper 2 does not intervene is not driven. Thus, when a portion where the recording paper 2 is not interposed is driven to generate heat during the recording operation, the heat radiation effect is deteriorated and the thermal head is prevented from being damaged. Also, when it is detected that both of the recording sensors 61 and 62 are OFF, the entire width of the thermal head 31 is set so as not to generate heat, and when the recording paper runs out, the thermal head 31 is driven to generate heat. It is configured to stop or stop the recording operation.

[0011]

As described above in detail, in the recording apparatus using the thermal head according to the present invention, when the thermal head is pressed against the platen roller, the thermal head is urged to press the recording medium and the platen roller. A plurality of head pressing mechanisms are provided at predetermined intervals in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction, and the bias is released in a portion where the recording medium does not intervene when the thermal head presses against the platen roller. In a recording apparatus using a long thermal head, recording is performed using a recording sheet having a size smaller than the width of the thermal head without using a specific sheet material or the like. This has the effect that it can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main configuration of a recording apparatus using a thermal head of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a stay in a head pressing mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional recording apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a head pressing mechanism in a conventional recording apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Platen roller 2 Recording medium 3 Thermal head part 4 Thermal head support part 5 Thermal head pressing part 6 Recording paper sensor

Claims (1)

[Claims] A thermal head which presses and separates from a platen roller via a recording medium; and when the thermal head presses against the platen roller, the thermal head is urged to press the recording medium and the platen roller. A thermal head that forms a desired image on the recording medium by transporting the recording medium by rotating the platen roller and driving the heating resistor of the thermal head to generate heat. In the recording apparatus used, the head pressing mechanism includes a plurality of pressing members for urging the thermal head in a direction of a platen roller at a predetermined interval in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the recording medium. When pressing against the roller, record between the thermal head and the platen roller. Recording apparatus using a thermal head is characterized in that it is configured to release the urging of the thermal head by the pressing member in a portion where the body is not interposed.